# Congressional effort to block Prop 12 sets up farm bill fight  
**Published:** 2026-06-03T12:38:40.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/03/repub/animal-welfare-rules-might-be-rolled-back-by-congress/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/congressional-effort-to-block-prop-12-sets-up-farm-bill-fight

Congress is looking to roll back state animal welfare laws as it wrangles over reauthorization of the federal farm bill. The farm bill, which Congress generally reworks every five years, includes money and federal rules for food assistance programs, farm subsidies, and other ag-related programs. A pending version of the legislation includes the Save Our Bacon Act, which would block states from regulating the raising of livestock.

The measure takes direct aim at California's Proposition 12, which requires farms to meet specific standards providing animals freedom of movement, cage-free confinement and minimum floor space. A key component of California's law effectively bans hog sow farms from using gestation crates — pens so small that mother pigs can't even turn around.

Following an unsuccessful legal challenge to Proposition 12 by pork producers, lawmakers and ag interests have been pushing for years for federal action to block similar laws. While a similar anti-Proposition 12 measure was introduced in 2023 farm bill negotiations, the effort has gained some momentum after receiving bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives, which approved the farm bill legislation by a 224-200 vote in late April. It's now the subject of Senate negotiations.

Nebraska representatives have backed the measure, with Rep. Adrian Smith saying the House version would deliver "a much-needed fix to California's overreaching Proposition 12 mandate, ensuring out-of-state regulations do not dictate how Nebraska producers raise their livestock." Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue has argued that "Proposition 12 effectively gives California animal rights groups the ability to dictate food production practices to farmers and ranchers across America, including those in Nebraska."

The California law also bars retailers from selling meats raised in other states that don't meet the state's standards. Opponents say that provision places a heavy burden on producers across the country who must meet different standards for different markets. However, the effort faces significant obstacles in the Senate, with Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) saying that Save Our Bacon Act language won't be in the Senate draft, expected to be released in early June.

A Harvard Law School analysis found that hundreds of state laws could be nullified by the "Save Our Bacon Act," including regulations to protect the health of animals, farmers and the public. Most of the focus has centered on California, which has the world's fourth largest economy. But opponents say the congressional proposal could upend hundreds of state laws and regulations.

Opposition to the provision has not fallen neatly along party lines. A bipartisan group led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, sought to remove the language from the Farm Bill, joined by Republicans and Democrats including Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Mike Lawler, (R-NY), and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ).

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/03/repub/animal-welfare-rules-might-be-rolled-back-by-congress/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/03/repub/animal-welfare-rules-might-be-rolled-back-by-congress/.